In May 2016 Dacotah Clarke, the Palm Coast resident who was 19 at the time, was sentenced to 15 months in state prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery in Flagler Beach. He had faced up to 15 years in prison. He served 11 months, and last April was released, though he still faced four years’ probation.
On Dec. 30, Clarke was re-arrested on nine charges, four of them felonies, including probation violation, meth possession with intent to sell and giving a false name while detained: at first he allegedly lied about his age when asked by a cop, saying his name was “Reece James Edward.”
Arrested with him was Steven Young, a 31-year-old Palm Coast resident and convicted felon who was charged with the illegal possession of a firearm as a felon.
Clarke and Young had been driving on Whiteview Parkway in palm Coast the evening of Dec. 30, aboard a Jeep with no license plate attached. That drew a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy’s attention. The deputy pulled over Young, who’d been at the wheel of the Jeep, and found out that the plate was in back of the car but covered up—and did not reflect the car’s registration. Rather, the plate’s registration sticker had been altered to read “18” with a marker.
Young, of 66 Raleigh Drive in Palm Coast, claimed he and Clarke were rushing to help a friend’s car that was stuck somewhere in the P Section. But they couldn’t come up with a location for the vehicle in distress.
Clarke, of 11 Raedmond Lane in Palm Coast, was wearing a bullet-proof vest and was “Dacotah was acting “extremely nervous and looking around,” his arrest report states. He was detained “for officer safety,” and eventually conceded that his name was Clarke: there were warrants out for his arrest on probation violations and failure to appear.
Asked if there was anything illegal in the Jeep, Young said there wasn’t to his knowledge, but he didn’t want to get in trouble if something were found, according to the arrest report: he said it was possible that Clarke had placed a gun beneath the driver’s seat. But he did not give consent to have the car searched. “I advised Steven that if he didn’t want to give consent that was fine,” the reporting deputy wrote, “however, I was going to tow the vehicle and conduct an inventory of the vehicle before it was towed.”
Since Young was charged with driving the car illegally, that gave police authority to tow the car, and since towed vehicles may be inventoried, that’s a way to get around the Fourth Amendment protection against searches without a warrant. As the deputy inventoried the vehicle, he found a High Point, 9mm semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat, loaded with one round in the chamber and nine rounds in the magazine. Young, according to the arrest report, “stated that Dacotah showed it to him earlier in the day and that he must have put it there.”
Clarke’s area was inventoried, allegedly revealing a black backpack with a box that contained approximately 1.9 grams of crystal meth, a scale, three used syringes and a metal spoon with a white residue on the surface. There was also a small glass bottle labeled as Lidocaine I injection. Clarke’s wallet contained his driver’s license, but the deputy also discovered other people’s passports and driver’s licenses.
Both men were arrested and taken to the Flagler County jail. Among Clarke’s charges: the illegal possession of a bulletproof vest while committing a felony. In this case, the drug allegation resulted in the bullet-proof charge, a misdemeanor.
Young posted bail on his $10,000 bond and was released Monday. Clarke is being held without bond.
Mark says
People should be required to complete entire sentence, period! The reward for “good behavior” should be release at end of sentence. If you continue to “misbehave” during sentence then time should be added. Why sentence people to 10 years when they really mean 1 month? It makes no sense.
Stretchem says
See that little smirk on Dakotah’s face? Says it all. Judge, DOC parole board… make sure he finishes that 15 year sentence. Do another smirk check in 2030.
The Geode says
“Detained for officer’s safety” means cuff the person until you can find a reason to leave them on…
Cheryl McNabb says
When will our justice system make changes so repeat offenders can’t get out so soon? Our sheriffs department is doing a great job of catching these low life’s but then the courts put them back on the streets. It’s ridiculous!vote only for politicians who see the need for tougher sentences and stricter laws.
Really says
Oh well looks like another waste
Lena marshall says
Waste of an article
GT says
Lock them up for good this time before they kill someone or someone has to kill them when they break into a house in the middle of the night.
mark101 says
armed robbery = 15 months. That is the first problem. If our courts do not start getting tougher in these type of cases lowlifes like shown above will continue to abuse the system.
Just the truth says
A 15 yrs sentence and is released after 11 months, HELLO, what is wrong with this picture?
Anonymous says
This IS the problem right here ~ “He had faced up to 15 years in prison. He served 11 months,” Treating this 19 year old ADULT as if he is a kid who made ONE bad decision. He IS a CRIMINAL with a long list of crimes at a young age and our “justice” system cares more about the criminal then the victims.
Bc. says
What a joke 15 months for armed robbery out in 11 what do you think they were think about doing that nite with a gun and a bullit prof vest on. Oh maybe he was trying to keep warm it was a cold nite. judge lock them up
Dave says
a way to get around the Fourth Amendment protection against searches without a warrant. Well that’s comforting to know…smh
dan says
We not publish the judges name as he is the one responsible for this inmate being on the street. Maybe as a result the judge would be NOT re-elected
gmath55 says
Why not publish the judges name as he is the one responsible for this inmate being on the street. Maybe as a result the judge would NOT be re-elected.
[email protected] says
Just back for Japan, crime is non existent….cop sit in booths reading paper! They have a 99% conviction rate in their courts….they don’t tolerate criminals at all. There is something wrong here!
DSrE says
Also a rather single minded, homogeneous population too. Makes a difference in a whole country that is only just slightly smaller than the State of California. Apples to oranges comparison.
Really says
No Lena a waste only if u think it’s ok for the moron to be free.
connor386 says
You all don’t know anything so you guys will one day be judged for the way you talking dacoatah has a family and is a good person just needs some treattment not prison
Jolene dehart says
The entire jail is filled at present with “habitual” offenders, “re-offenders” and felons with records longer than toilet paper on a roll. Looking up the records, many many felons are “Ror’d” or let off with minor bail, given Probation and then violate over and over. Many violators are given bond again and “Pete and Repeat”, as my mom would have said.
Richard says
Relieve the overcrowding by sending the overflow to Gitmo!